Dental flask



June 6, 1944. F. T. BALDWIN DENTAL FLASK Filed Jan. 26, 1942 Patented June 6, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DENTAL FLASK Fred T. Baldwin, Lakeland, Fla.

Application January 26, 1942, Serial No. 428,279

1 Claim.

The invention relates to an improved dental flask which incorporates means to efiect a more even distribution of the heat requiredto cure or harden various plastics used in the formation of artificial dentures, and the primary object of the invention is to provide for heating the inner surfaces of the mould to a temperature more nearly approaching that of the surrounding water, or other liquid or steam employed for the heating, in a much shorter time than otherwise is the case, thereby decreasing the time required to process the denture and eliminating tendencies to porosity, bubbles, and pits, in the denture.

Other important objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description taken in connection with the appended drawing, wherein for purposes of illustration there is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view taken through a flask and through the upper section thereof modified in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view partly broken away of the heat distributing means.

Figure 3 is a left hand end elevational view of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of Figure 2.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 5 generally designates a suitable form of flask such as is used in the formation of artificial dentures and which encloses the plaster of Paris or other similar material 6 in surrounding and embedding relation to the denture 1 of artificial denture material which is to be cured or hardened and is usually formed of a suitable plastic. Ordinarily the heating medium, Whether steam, water, or other liquid is caused to contact the exterior of the flask so as to transmit heat therethrough and through the material 6 to cure the denture i. In this ordinary method the outer sides of the denture I are heated to a greater degree than the inner side, due to the natural transmission of heat from the outside of the flask, so that the inner sides of the denture are apt to suffer because of the uneven application and distribution of the heat.

To overcome this objection to the present methods and to gain the advantages mentioned and others, the flask 5 is equipped with an inner chamber which lies spacedly within the denture I and is embedded in the plaster of Paris or the like 6 and has contact with the wall 8 of the flask for transfer of heat by conduction, and has communication through the tubes 9 and through holes ID, with the heating fluid surrounding the flask, so that the heating fluid enters the interior of the chamber and effects an earlier and more even heating of the inner sides of the denture 1.

The chamber which is generally designated II is made in a shape conforming to the arch of the denture and has its sides l2 angulated and curved to substantially conform to the lingual surfaces of the denture, the edges of the said sides being connected to the conformably shaped top l3 and the conformably shaped bottom M, the ends of the said side walls being connected by the straight wall l5 which has the holes l6 which open into the laterally spaced tubes 9 whose outer ends are registered with the holes Ii! in the wall 8 of the flask. The chamber II is positioned in the flask by means of thumb screws I! which are threaded inthe flask wall openings l0 and threaded in the tubes 9 and the holes it. After the plaster of Paris or the like 6 and the denture 1 have been installed in the flask and the whole is ready to be placed in the heating medium, the thumb screws I! are removed to let the heating fluid enter the chamber l l.

Although there is shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of the invention it is to be understood that it is not desired to limit the invention thereto except as may be required by the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having described the invention, what is claime as new is:

The combination with a dental flask adapted for containing a mold body for an artificial denture embedded in said body for molding by submersion of the flask in heating fluid, of a hollow casing forming a heating chamber and positioned in said flask and adapted to be embedded in said body on the lingual side of said denture, and means to attach said casing in said flask and to FRED T. BALDWIN. 

